National Republican., 1887-01-28

Mr.. Cockrell offered a resolution, which
was adopted, calling on the Secretary Of
War for report rs TO the number Of claims
fled in the War Department under the act
Of june Q, 1884, &c. Qn regard to the
muster Of volunteers).
Mr.. Cullom offered the following resolu-
ton, which was adopted:
Whereas, since March 81. 1885, the Secretary
of the Treasury In his monthly statements has
treated the fractional silver coin In the treas
uiry ssno portion of the cash balance avail
Resoilsd, That the finance committee of the
Senate be authorized and directed TO examine
into this subject and report whether additional
legislation Is requisite TO make the fractional
silver coin now held In the treasury report
Of the available cash balance, and also whether
Il will be or not judlciou to provide for having
such fractional silver coin recoined into stand
ard silver dollars.
A resolution was offered by Mr.. Hoar on
Wednesday In executive session, declaring
that, after the Senate has refused its advice
and consent to the appointment Of any per.
son TO office, II is contrary to the spirit and
intent OF the constitution to designate the
same person to the same office Immediately
thereafter, was taken up and referred to
the committee on privileges and elections.
The resolution reported few days since
from the committee on foreign relations as
to the claim Of William Webster for lands
in New Zealand was taken up and placed
on the calendar.
The railroad attorney bill was taken up.
Mr.. Mitchell, Of Pennsylvania, moved
that II be postponed till o'clock to-day,
and .iat the Senate proceed to the consid-
Grafton Of the dependent soldiers bill.
After n long discussion II was agreed that
the railroad attorney bill be made the un-
finished business, and that II come up at
O'Clock to-day, and the House bill for the
relief OF dependent parents and honorably
discharged soldiers and sailors who are now
disabled and dependent upon their own
labor for support, was taken up.
Mr. Mitchell advocated the bill. It COW
cred, be said, the same questions on which
the Senate had taken action twice within
the last two years. But the House bill did
not 90 nearly so far on the one subject Of
pensioning disabled Union soldiers as both
of the bills passed by the Senate. He might
therefore state. as the sense, at least, OF the
Republican side of the Senate, that this bill
was not entirely satisfactory. But they
were satisfied that II would do great deal
Of good, and they were willing to accept
what they could get at this time.
Mr.. Frye asked him whether either Of the
Senate bills had proposed to pension all the
soldiers of all the wars which the country
had been engaged In.
Mr.. Mitchell replied in the negative.
Those bills had related only to the late
war.
Mr.. Frye asked whether this bill did not
pension all the soldiers engaged In the
Seminole, Mexican, and other wars, en-
tirely regardless as TO whether they had
subsequently gone into rebellion against
the government.
Mr.. Mitchell replied in the affirmative;
Tut said that disabilities incurred In the
service Of the rebellion were excepted.
Mr.. Frye suggested that the bill would
open the door to serious trouble. II a
man who had served In the rebel army was
lieah1pd bv rhpum NJ tiem 0r any chronic Ill
tease, 1t would be utterly impossible to de-
termine whether the disease was contracted
while serving in the rebel army or not.
Mr.. Mitchell admitted that there would
he difficulty in administering the law In such
cases. If II were an original question he
point as this bill went But 1t appeared
that, st this time, Congress ought to be will
ing to put on the pension roll men who hat
served In the rebel army, II they coult
satisfy the government that the disability
under which they now labored was not In
would be upon them.
Mr.. Cullom inquired whether $l2 montl
was to be the highest or the lowest pension
allowed?
Mr.. Mitchell expressed the belief that 81:
was to be the maximum, and that the pension
would be rated down according to the de
gree Of disability.
Mr.. Sewell 10 member OF the commtte,
on pensons) said that If he had been pres
ent In committee when the bill was befor,
IL he would have objected strongly TO II
being reported in its present condition. HI
was opposed to opening the door, as thi
bill did, to the pensioning of men who hat
served In the confederate army. He movet
to amend the bill by striking out the fourtl
section and inserting the words, "nothinl
contained In this act shall be construed a
repealing or modifying section 47l6 Of tn,
RnulGa1 StatntaaD--o whtnh
hibits pensions to men who have served II
the confederate army. ,
Mr.. Blair (also member Of the pension
committee) thought there was misappre
nension as to the effect Of the bill In open
ing the way to the pensloning Of men who
served In the confederate army. Whoeve
was to receive pension under 1t must hav,
served in some war on the side Of the gov.
eminent. Those who had served In tn,
Mexican war had been already provided
with pensions without regard to their ser
vice in the rebel army. This bill woult
reach only very small number OF sucl
Mr.. Mitchell expressed the hope that tn
amendment offered by Mr.. Sewell woull
not be agreed to- and that no amendmen
would be agreed to. but that the bill woult
be passed just ae 1t came from the House.
Mr. Sherman expressed himself In favo
OF some bill broad and general in its charac
ter, and so comprehensive as TO include al
pension legislation that is necessary. AS II
pensioners who had served In the confeder
ate army, the Mexican pension law (passet
OF this Congress) did not exclude them un
less their disability was incurred In tn
rebel service. lie should therefore VOTE
against the amendment offered by Mr.
Sewell. Having already passed the Mexi
can pension bill he suggested that 1t woul,
be better to insert In this bill a reasonabl
provision for arrears in cases applied TO
after 1880.
Mr.. Platt said that while he would prob
ably vote for the bill he regarded 1t as illog
ical. He stated his objections to 1t, but de
clsred himself ready to take the least drit
let of relief for the needy and disabled sol
diers of the country.
Mr.. Teller also regarded the bill as crud
and ill-considered, but still he would vot
for IL. II fairly construed, he thought, II
was bill to render to every soldier with "
total disability "a phrase which had its fixe
meaning In the pension ofice) $l2 pen
sion.
Mr.. .Platt suggested that then the efrec
of the bill would be that the soldier VIII
could not trace his disability to army sci
vice would get $l2 month, while the sol
dier who could do SO only got s..
Mr.. Teller admitted that that was exactl
what the logic OF the bill led to. AS to th
extension OF the provisions OF this bill
men who had served in the confederat
army, he suggested that while men sat Il
the Senate chamber who had led the armie
and directed the councils of the confedei
acy, it was too late to preclude from pen
sion tho men who had served In the rank
OF the confederate army after having serve
In the Mexican or come other war.
Mr. Van Wyck failed to see why ther
should be any criticisms of terms OF the bill
IL was plain on its face. The propostlc
of the bill giving uniform rate Of pensiO
In all these cases was not new feature, fc
hal hah an. - l..N 4 a